The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications systems, and relates particularly to the field of activation of wireless units used in wireless communications systems.
The advance of technology in telecommunications has allowed a large segment of the population to own and to use wireless units operating on wireless communications systems. Wireless units such as cellular telephones and personal communication system (PCS) devices have been particularly popular. The delivery of service to these wireless units by wireless communications service providers is a competitive yet profitable endeavor. Service providers continue to seek ways to satisfy customers, and to improve and manage wireless service so as to continue to profit by the delivered services.
One manner in which service providers seek to better serve and to obtain customers is to provide for retail outlets where a customer may purchase a wireless unit and have it activated for use. A specific retail outlet may sell wireless units from many different manufacturers, but typically, a retail outlet has an exclusive relationship with a specific service provider. As part of this exclusive relationship, the retail outlet activates wireless units purchased at the retail outlet only on the network of the specific service provider. In other words, generally, when a customer purchases a wireless unit at a specific retail outlet, the wireless unit is activated so that wireless communications service to that wireless unit is provided by the service provider that has an exclusive relationship with the specific retail outlet. In return for this activation, the service provider typically pays the retail outlet a commission for each sale and activation of a wireless unit. This commission often is not insignificant with respect to the purchase price of a wireless unit.
Another manner in which service providers seek to obtain customers is to offer a subsidy with respect to the purchase price of a wireless unit when the wireless unit is activated on the network of the service provider. For example, a wireless unit""s retail cost without subsidy may be $300. A service provider may subsidy the cost of the wireless unit by paying a commission of a significant amount such as $100 or more so long as the wireless unit is activated on the network of the service provider. Of course, the service provider anticipates that it will recoup its subsidy as a result of the long term service that is provided to the customer. This subsidization has been welcomed by many customers as a way in which to obtain a wireless unit that may otherwise be too expensive to purchase.
To purchase and activate a wireless unit at a retail outlet, a customer may select a particular brand and/or type of wireless unit. Typically, a sales clerk in the retail outlet then takes information from the customer including credit information so the customer may be qualified for wireless service from the service provider associated with the retail outlet. If the customer proves credit worthy, the sales clerk takes additional steps to activate the wireless unit to the network of the associated service provider. Once the activation is accomplished, the customer is handed his or her wireless unit and informed of his or her wireless directory number. The customer then typically may commence to make use of his or her newly activated wireless unit.
The purchase of a wireless unit at a retail outlet as explained above has advantages, but it also has disadvantages. From the customer""s perspective, a disadvantage is that the purchase and activation process at the retail outlet takes a relatively long period of time. During busy periods, such purchase and activation may take up to two-three hours or more. Another disadvantage is that the purchase and activation process must be accomplished during the business hours of the retail outlet. Typically, business hours coincide with a customer""s workday schedule or carry over into the early evening hours when the customer may be interested in following other pursuits. Yet another disadvantage is that during the purchase and activation process in a retail outlet the customer generally must provide a sales clerk with confidential information. A customer may have some trepidation about providing a sales clerk with confidential information such as the customer""s income level, credit card numbers, etc. Thus, from a customer""s perspective, the purchase and activation of a wireless unit in a retail outlet has at least the disadvantages of consuming time and energy during hours when a customer is most likely to be engaged in other pursuits and of raising security and privacy concerns.
The purchase and activation of a wireless unit in a retail outlet has disadvantages from the retail outlet""s perspective as well. The retail outlet may sell other products or have other business than the wireless units. The lengthy purchase and activation process with respect to a wireless unit takes time and takes sales clerks away from the other business of the retail outlet. At times, the retail outlet may be overwhelmed with customers interested in purchasing and activating wireless units so the retail outlet cannot service all of such customers and/or the customers of its other business. Further, the retail outlet may be required to obtain special equipment and programs to sell and activate the wireless units and to keep such special equipment and programs confidential. The special equipment and programs and the confidentiality thereof may overburden the retail outlet.
The purchase and activation of a wireless unit in a retail outlet also has disadvantages from the perspective of a service provider. A disadvantage to the service provider is that it must pay a not insignificant commission to the retail outlet for each wireless unit that is purchased and activated to the network of the service provider. Another disadvantage is that the service provider must take some monitoring steps with respect to the retail outlet to assure that the purchase and activation process does not lead to abuses such as theft of confidential information relating to the wireless units or to customers.
An alternative to the purchase and activation of a wireless unit in a retail outlet is to allow a customer to activate a wireless unit that he or she has purchased at a retail outlet, through a catalog, or wherever. This alternative is welcomed by the many customers who do not want to spend the time for the lengthy purchase and activation process to be carried out in a retail outlet, and by the customers who do not desire to disclose confidential information in as unrestricted an environment as the retail outlet. But this alternative has a principal disadvantage. This disadvantage is that wireless units sold without accompanying activation are sold generally without a subsidy. In other words, a customer who desires to avoid the lengthy purchase and activation process at the retail outlet typically has to forego the savings offered by the considerable subsidy of wireless units sold in retail outlets.
It would appear that service providers could easily address this disadvantage by subsidizing all wireless units. But this is impractical. A service provider subsidizes a wireless unit by paying a commission on a wireless unit that is sold at a retail outlet because a wireless unit that is sold at a retail outlet is also activated to the network of the service provider. The service provider is generally assured it will recoup its subsidy by servicing the wireless unit. When a customer purchases a wireless unit at a place, other than a sponsored retail outlet, there is no assurance the customer will activate the wireless unit to the network of any particular service provider. The customer may take advantage of a subsidy provided by a service provider for the purchase of the wireless unit and then take advantage of an advantageous service contract from another service provider.
Some service providers have subsidized the sale of wireless units pursuant to a locked system of wireless units. To activate such a wireless unit, it must be unlocked. The process or instructions for unlocking the wireless unit are obtained from the service provider that subsidizes the purchase of the wireless unit. As part of the unlocking process, the wireless unit is activated to the network of the service provider providing the unlocking instructions. Pursuant to this locked system, the service provider offers a subsidized wireless unit to a customer, and also allows the customer to activate the wireless unit at his or her convenience. The service provider also gains from this locked system in that the service provider is able to recoup the subsidy by having the wireless unit activated to the network of the service provider thereby providing wireless service to the wireless unit.
But service providers are finding they may not be able to count on recouping the subsidy paid with respect to a locked wireless unit. The lock on the wireless unit may be circumvented by those who desire the subsidy from the service provider, but do not desire to be activated on the network of the service provider. Such circumvention may be the result of a too-wide distribution of the unlocking process of a particular type of locked wireless unit. For example, all of the same types of wireless units may be unlocked according to the same unlocking process. Once a person gains knowledge of the unlocking process, (legitimately or illegitimately), he or she may pass on the unlocking process to others or use the process to unlock other locked wireless units of the same type.
Another way to circumvent the lock of a locked wireless unit is to use a xe2x80x9cback doorxe2x80x9d into the programming of the locked wireless unit so as to unlock the wireless unit without having to first obtain the unlocking process. A back door is an access to the programming of the wireless unit that may have been designed to allow for easy repair or service of the wireless unit. Thus, a locked wireless unit may be xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d for all intents and purposes, but may be unlocked without resorting to the unlocking process provided by the service provider that subsidized the purchase of the wireless unit. As a result, the wireless unit may not be activated to the network of the service provider paying the subsidy and the service provider does not recoup such subsidy or otherwise gain from providing wireless service to the wireless unit.
Yet another way to circumvent the lock of a locked wireless unit is to break the lock or break the code that leads to unlocking the wireless unit. The lock or code may be broken in several different ways. The same lock or code may have been used for all of the same types and/or brands of wireless units. To break the lock or code, a person may work through one or more wireless units to find the lock or code. Even though the same lock or code may not have been used for all of the same types and/or brands of wireless units, the same pattern of unlocking a wireless unit using a code may have been used across the same types and/or brands of wireless units. To break the lock or code, a person may work through one or more wireless units to find the pattern, and thus, break the lock or code.
Therefore, there is a need for a wireless unit whose purchase may be subsidized by a service provider, which may be activated by a customer at a convenient place and convenient time through an easy process, and which process may result in activation of the wireless unit on the network of the service provider so the service provider may recoup its subsidy and otherwise derive benefits from the delivery of wireless services to the wireless unit. In addition, there is a need for a wireless unit that may be locked and that does not allow for the circumvention of the lock. In particular, there is a need for a locked wireless unit whose unlocking process is not distributed except to authorized person(s). There is also a need for a locked wireless unit that does not include a back door into its programming so that unauthorized unlocking of the wireless unit is avoided. There is a further need for a locked wireless unit whose lock cannot be broken such as through breaking a code that leads to the unlocking of the wireless unit.
Generally, the present invention includes methods and apparatus as embodiments relating to a unit that may be locked against use or operation until the unit is unlocked and/or activated for use or operation on a selected network. The exemplary methods and apparatus are described by reference to a wireless unit. But the reader is advised that the reference to a wireless unit used in a wireless communications system is merely exemplary. The methods and apparatus of the present invention may be used with respect to other types of units that may be locked for various purposes and that are unlocked for use or operation in certain circumstances. Additional details regarding these other types of units are provided below in the detailed description.
Advantageously, the exemplary methods and apparatus of the present invention allow for a unit whose purchase price may be subsidized by a service provider, which may be activated by a customer at a convenient time and place through an easy process, and which process may result in activation of the unit on the network of the service provider that subsidized the purchase price of the unit. In this manner, the service provider may recoup its subsidy and otherwise derive benefits from the delivery of services to the unit. The exemplary methods and apparatus have these advantages by providing a unit that may be locked, that does not readily allow for circumvention of the lock, that may be unlocked only through the use of an unlock code that preferably originates with the service provider, and that may be activated on the network of the service provider through the unlock process of the unit.
More particularly stated, an exemplary wireless unit of the present invention is locked against use for communications or operations until the wireless unit is unlocked. Preferably, as a result of the unlocking process, the wireless unit is activated on a selected network of a service provider. The wireless unit includes a memory for storing an unlock code specific to the wireless unit. The unlock code is used in changing the wireless unit from being locked to being unlocked. The unlock code may be generated by a device other than the wireless unit, and the device may load the unlock code into the memory of the wireless unit. Alternatively, the wireless unit may generate the unlock code. Further, the unlock code may be generated by an algorithm using an identifier unique to the unit such as an electronic serial number unique to a wireless unit and using a secret code. Advantageously, the unlock code is unbreakable without knowledge of the algorithm and the secret code.
The wireless unit also includes a control for receipt of an input code and a system identification number. The input code and the system identification number may be obtained and so may have their origins in the selected network. In addition, the wireless unit includes a processor that is functionally connected to the control and to the memory. A function of the processor is to effect a comparison of the input code to the unlock code. If the comparison results in a finding that the input code is substantially equal to the unlock code, then the processor may be used to effect an unlocking of the wireless unit. If the unlocking is effected, then the processor may be further used to effect activation of the wireless unit on the selected network based on the system identification number. Advantageously, the wireless unit is locked against use for communications or use and cannot be unlocked by breaking the unlock code without the knowledge of the algorithm and the secret code. By using an unbreakable unlock code which originates with a service provider, the unlocking of the wireless unit typically results in the activation of the wireless unit on the selected network.
The present invention also includes exemplary methods to render a wireless unit useless for communications until the wireless unit is unlocked. Such a wireless unit has been loaded with an electronic serial number unique to the wireless unit. An exemplary embodiment generates an unlock code by using a cryptographic algorithm with the electronic serial number and a secret code to obtain a pseudo-random output as the unlock code. In an embodiment, the unlock code is generated through a process that includes a division operation. In particular, a secret code is divided by the electronic serial number of the wireless unit. This division yields a result and a remainder. The remainder is selected as the unlock code. In another embodiment, the cryptographic algorithm may be a cave algorithm, and the cave algorithm may be used with the electronic serial number and a secret code to obtain an unlock code. In yet another embodiment, the cryptographic algorithm may be an MD5 algorithm, and the MD5 algorithm may be used with the electronic serial number and a secret code to obtain an unlock code.
Advantageously, the use of the unlock code is specific to the wireless unit because the unlock code is generated through the use of the electronic serial number which is unique to the wireless unit. With the unlock code being specific to the wireless unit, it is much more difficult to obtain illegitimately. Knowing the unlock code of a first wireless unit does not lead to knowledge of the unlock code for a second wireless unit. Further, the unlock code is unbreakable without knowledge of the algorithm and the secret code. An unbreakable unlock code assures that the wireless unit is unlocked only through a legitimate process such as through contact with the appropriate service provider. As part of this contact with the service provider to unlock the wireless unit, advantageously, the wireless unit may be activated to the network of the service provider. The service provider then may provide service to the wireless unit, and through the payments made by the customer for the service, the service provider may recoup its investment in the subsidy of the purchase price of the wireless unit.
Once the unlock code is generated, the unlock code is loaded into the wireless unit. After loading the wireless unit with the electronic serial number and the unlock code, the wireless unit is configured so that the wireless unit can only be unlocked through input into the wireless unit of an input code substantially equal to the unlock code.
The present invention also includes computer-readable mediums on which are stored respectively computer programs for rendering a unit useless for operation until the unit is unlocked. The unit includes an identifier unique to the unit. Each of the computer programs includes instructions, which when executed by a computer, perform the steps of: obtaining a secret code; using the secret code with the identifier in an algorithm to generate an unlock code; loading the unit with the unlock code; and after loading the unit with the unlock code, configuring the unit so that the unit can only be unlocked through input into the unit of an input code substantially equal to the unlock code.
The present invention also includes exemplary methods to unlock a wireless unit that has been loaded with an electronic serial number unique to the wireless unit, that has been locked pursuant to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and to activate the wireless unit on a selected network of a service provider. To unlock a locked wireless unit, the wireless unit is turned-on. The wireless unit receives an input code. Generally, the input code will have originated from the network of the service provider that subsidized the purchase price of the wireless unit. In response to the receipt of the input code, the wireless unit compares the input code to the unlock code. As noted, the unlock code is specific to the wireless unit and is unbreakable without knowledge of the algorithm and secret code used with the electronic serial number to generate the unlock code. If the comparison results in a determination that the input code does not substantially equal the unlock code, then the exemplary method may simply allow another attempt wherein another input code is received. As an alternative, if the input code does not substantially equal the unlock code, then the exemplary method may not allow another attempt. The wireless unit may display an error message and proceed to shut down. Other alternatives responsive to the receipt of an input code that do not substantially equal the unlock code are possible.
If the comparison results in a determination that the input code substantially equals the unlock code, then the wireless unit may complete other activation steps that may be necessary to activate the wireless unit on the network of the service provider. For example, the wireless unit may receive a system identification number (SID). As with the input code, generally the system identification number originates from the network of the service provider that subsidized the purchase price of the wireless unit. The wireless unit is unlocked so that it may be used for communications and other operations. The wireless unit may be activated on the network of the service provider, and thereafter the exemplary method ends. Thus, the wireless unit is unlocked based on the finding that the input code is substantially equal to the unlock code and the wireless unit may be activated on a network of a service provider in conjunction with the wireless unit being unlocked.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless unit whose purchase may be subsidized by a service provider without payment of a commission to a retail outlet, which may be activated by a customer at a convenient place and convenient time through an easy process, and which process may result in activation of the wireless unit on the network of the service provider so the service provider may recoup its subsidy and otherwise derive benefits from the delivery of wireless services to the wireless unit.
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby a wireless unit may be locked so as not to allow for the circumvention of the lock. In particular, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus with respect to a locked wireless unit whose unlocking process is not distributed except to authorized person(s), that does not include a back door into its programming so that unauthorized unlocking of the wireless unit is avoided, and whose lock cannot be broken such as through breaking an unlock code that leads to the unlocking of the wireless unit.
That the present invention and the exemplary embodiments thereof overcome the drawbacks set forth above and accomplish the objects of the invention set forth herein will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments to follow.